NFL Player News

Watson has made a strong case for a roster spot this preseason, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.

A 2015 undrafted free agent, Watson apparently has made a strong impression on Steelers coach Mike Tomlin with his powerful downhill running. The 240-pounder has taken 18 carries for 84 yards and a touchdown this preseason, but it still isn't clear where he fits on the roster behind Le'Veon Bell. The team's 2017 third-round pick, James Conner, already provides some power off the bench, while Fitzgerald Toussaint is a capable pass catcher and Knile Davis can help in the return game. The Steelers might find a spot for Watson at Davis' expense, though it would require keeping four tailbacks.

McNichols only played two snaps in Saturday's preseason loss to the Browns, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After taking 13 carries for 42 yards through the first two weeks of the preseason, McNichols barely saw the field in Saturday's dress rehearsal, losing one yard on his only carry. He figures to make the final roster, but he may not have a role in the Week 1 offense behind Jacquizz Rodgers and Charles Sims.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick suggested Saturday that Gillislee still needs to prove himself to the team, NESN.com's Zack Cox reports. "We were able to get Mike a few carries and a few plays in the game," Belichick said. "I think he still has quite a ways to go. He has missed some practices this (summer) and missed some practices last spring. He's worked hard to stay on top of things and to stay caught up, and we've worked hard to catch up, but we still have some ground to make up."

While the injury never seemed serious, Gillislee's hamstring caused him to miss about two weeks of practice as well as the first two exhibition contests. He nonetheless was impressive in his 2017 preseason debut Friday against Detroit, taking eight carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. Gillislee is the favorite to handle goal-line work and the largest portion of the rushing workload, but the threat provided by fellow offseason acquisition Rex Burkhead (undisclosed) shouldn't be overlooked. While Gillislee has a clear advantage when it comes to pure running ability, Burkhead's blocking and receiving skills would make the offense less predictable -- something Belichick said was a major problem last season.

Kamara was rested for Saturday's preseason game against Houston, Nick Underhill of The New Orleans Advocate reports.

The Saints wanted to get a good look at Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson after watching Kamara explode for 96 yards on nine carries through the first two preseason games. The rookie should have a small role that includes some playing time in the slot, but Ingram still figures to handle a good portion of the passing-down work in the backfield. Kamara's explosive preseason bodes well for his long-term prospects with the team.

Conner rushed four times for 26 yards in Saturday's 19-15 preseason loss to the Colts.

The rookie came nowhere close to matching last week's breakout performance (20 rushes, 98 yards), but he also saw significantly less opportunity. Conner still turned in an impressive 6.5 yards per carry while seeing action on the Steelers' first possession of the second half. The 2017 third-round pick looks set to open the season as Le'Veon Bell's primary backup, provided the latter reports to the team no later than Sept. 1 as previously stated.

Davis rushed seven times for 21 yards and hauled in one of two targets for nine yards in Saturday's 19-15 preseason loss to the Colts. He also returned three kickoffs for 61 yards.

Davis logged the second-most carries on the Steelers, checking in behind only Terrell Watson on the night. The veteran is slotted ahead of Watson on the depth chart, although the latter outperformed him Saturday. However, Davis' experience and ability to return kicks could be the deciding factor in the job battle, which likely comes down to next Thursday's exhibition finale against the Panthers.

Martin (suspension) rushed two times for two yards and brought in both of his targets for 14 yards in Saturday's 13-9 preseason loss to the Browns.

Martin saw Jacquizz Rodgers open the game as a starter and logged both of his carries on the opening possession of the second half. The veteran's reduced participation Saturday appeared to be largely due to the team's desire to prepare Rodgers for lead-back duties in Martin's stead over the season's first three weeks. Martin isn't likely to see action in the exhibition finale against the Redskins next Thursday, so Saturday's snaps may have been his last until Week 4 of the regular season.

Rodgers rushed 10 times for 34 yards and brought in his lone target for 17 yards in Saturday's 13-9 preseason loss to the Browns.

Rodgers paced the Bucs backfield in both carries and yards, with head coach Dirk Koetter seemingly looking to get him ready for a lead back role to open the season while Doug Martin serves out his suspension. Rodgers came in eager for what he anticipated would be a larger workload Saturday and will look to duplicate his productive multi-week run as a starter from last season in the first three games of 2017.

Williams did not record a carry or catch in Saturday's preseason game in Baltimore, and barely saw the field.

Most likely, the team eased Williams back into action following a minor knee injury during the week. He still suited up, and appears to be locked into the No. 2 role to begin the season. We'll note that Mike Tolbert scored the Bills' only touchdown on the night, a theme that could carry into the regular season and take away from LeSean McCoy and Williams hitting pay dirt as frequently as they otherwise might.

Mack had seven carries for 18 yards and one reception for 17 yards in Saturday's preseason win over Pittsburgh.

While he wasn't as impressive as his first preseason game last week (five carries for 45 yards), Mack still showed a spark on several runs and was used in third-down situations with the first-team offense. He'll enter the season in the mix behind starter Frank Gore, but could find a small role initially. He's showed in the preseason he may have the most upside of any of the backups if Gore were to get hurt.